Beautiful Melodies
by DarkGoldenEyedAngel
Summary: B is orphaned at three and now lives and works as the best known vocalist and dancer at the Eclipse Opera House. At 17, she hears a haunting melody that is oddly familiar floating through the hallways. She goes to investigate. What will she find? AH. AU.
1. Ch 1 Remembering

_**Beautiful Melodies**_

_**by**_

_**CrazedCullenLover (or Kitty as I will be referring to myself from now on) **_

_**A/N: Hey Guys! Here's a new story just for you! Hope you like it!**_

_**You might notice some similarities to Phantom of the Opera, but it won't be the same. My plotline is completely different.**_

_**Disclaimer: This is the only time I'm going to say this, so listen (or read) well! I do not own Twilight or any other piece of work mentioned in this story! I swear on my set of the Twilight Saga. That has to mean something!**_

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Full Summary:

_Isabella Swan was orphaned at the age of three when her parents died of an illness. She was brought to the Eclipse Opera House where young girls were trained in vocals and dancing. Now she is seventeen and is strikingly beautiful but sees herself as ordinary. Many young men want to be with her but she only wants her one true love. She is also known as the best known vocalist and dancer at the Eclipse. People continue to tell her that her voice is amazing but she always gives the credit to her teacher. No one has ever met her teacher, including Bella. She has been taught in private in a small room in the upper levels of the opera house. One day, when Bella is heading to her rooms, she hears a hauntingly beautiful melody that is oddly familiar to her, floating through the halls of the Eclipse. She goes to investigate and discovers a room that she never knew existed. What will she find? And what will happen when an unwanted suitor comes for Bella? Will Bella find her one true love or be forced to be with someone she never loved at all? All Human. A little bit of Phantom of the Opera, a lot of Twilight._

_**Enjoy!**_

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Chapter 1: Remembering

_**(Bella's POV)**_

_**(Please read A/N at bottom)**_

"_We'll take good care of her," I remember a gentle male voice saying softly. I was half asleep already. _

_I remember being carried to a carriage and being placed gently onto someone's lap. I laid my head against the person's chest, not knowing, or caring, who it was. I was very tired._

_Right before I drifted off to sleep, I remembering hearing one small detail that has made me cry at night when I'm by myself for the past fourteen years._

"_Mama?" I heard the voice of a small boy ask. "Who is that?"_

"_This is Bella," said a voice just as gentle as the first voice, only this one sounded female._

"_Why is Bella here?" the boy asked. _

"_We're bringing her back to the opera house." the woman said to her son._

"_Why?" the boy asked. He was a very inquisitive child._

"_Because she doesn't have any family to take care of her, so we're going to," the woman said._

That was it. I couldn't remember anything else about that day. The one horrible detail that has caused me to shed many tears over these past years. My parents have been gone for fourteen years and they were never coming back. That thought has depressed me greatly but I have many reasons to be happy.

I have a very lovable home and a set of very close friends, they were my family. My career was extravagate. Since that time, I've been trained in vocals and dancing at the Eclipse Opera House.

And I had the most amazing instructor. But the thing with him is that I've never met him. No one has actually. He has the most amazing voice and his musical skills are phenomenal. He has trained me ever since I had arrived at the Eclipse.

"Bella," I heard someone calling my name. "Bella, where are you?"

"I'm right here," I called back. I heard footsteps approaching and then my two best friends, Alice Cullen, the daughter of the owner of the Eclipse and the same age as me, and Rosalie Hale, one of the other dancers at the opera house and who was a year older than Alice and I.

"There you are," Alice said as she and Rose came into the room. I had been in one of unused rooms with a large set of windows with a beautiful view of London. I always came here to think or to be alone when I wasn't practicing. "We have rehearsal in ten minutes. We need to get ready."

I sighed. "Alright," I said as I got up from my position next to the window. "Let's go get ready."

We headed down to my rooms, so that I could change into my rehearsal outfit and put my shoes on for ballet rehearsal.

After I was ready (Alice and Rose had been already ready), we headed down to the rehearsal hall.

When we arrived, Esme , Alice's mother and dance instructor for all of the dancers at the Eclipse, spotted us and said with mock sternness, "There you are, girls. Where have you been?" Esme was a kind and gentle woman. She was the one who raised me along with her two children, Alice and her older brother Emmett. I love her very much. She was the closest thing to a mother that I had.

"We had to fetch Bella again," Rose said, rolling her eyes.

"Ah. Daydreaming again, are we, Bella?" Esme asked looking at me with a raised eyebrow and a small smile.

I grinned sheepishly. "Maybe," I said, shrugging.

She chuckled as she motioned all of the other dancers forward. "Alright, ladies, you know what to do. Stretch, then go to the bar. Go," Esme said.

Ballet rehearsal went on for about an hour and then we were dismissed. Alice and Rose followed me up the stairs to our rooms (Rose lived with her husband). They had to get ready because their men were coming today.

Rose and Alice were completely in love. Rose had fallen for Alice's older brother, Emmett, and Alice had fallen for Rose's twin brother, Jasper. Rose and Emmett have been married for a little over a year now. Jasper had been courting Alice for almost two years now. Emmett and Jasper have been like brothers to me for a long time.

I could have been married, if I wished, but I didn't want to be. Not yet at least. I haven't found love yet. I wasn't going to marry someone I didn't love. To me, that's the worst kind of torture. I believed that everyone deserved to be loved. Rose and Alice especially. They deserved it.

I changed out of my rehearsal outfit and laid down on my bed after Rose and Alice had left to see Emmett and Jasper. I sighed. There had to be something to do.

I could practice my singing, but my instructor wanted me to rest my voice. You see, I have a private instructor. He was a wonderful one too. He had the sweetest voice and his music skills were astonishing.

But the thing is, I've never met him. I mean ever. I don't even know his name. All I know is that he lives somewhere in the opera house.

Trust me. I've tried to find him. I've looked high and low and through every room in this opera house and I've found nothing.

Yet I still remember the first day that I ever heard him.

_(Flashback)_

_I was five years old and I was sitting in the same room that I was sitting in earlier today. _

_I was looking out over London and singing a soft tune that my mother had taught me. _

_Take the wave now and know that you're free,  
Turn your back on the land face the sea,  
Face the wind now so wild and so strong,  
When you think of me,  
Wave to me and send me a song…_

_I will sing to you...  
If you promise to send me a song._

_I had just finished the song when I heard the voice of a young man. I looked around, trying to figure out where it had come from._

"_Isabella, what a lovely voice you have," the voice said._

"_Thank you," I said, still looking for the speaker. No one was around._

"_Where did you learn to sing?" the voice asked._

"_My mother taught me," I said. I had given up on looking for the young man. _

"_Well, she must have been a wonderful singer, as well," he said._

"_She was," I said, as I went to go sit back down next to the window._

_He didn't say anything for a moment. "Will you sing that song again for me?"_

"_Sure," I said with a smile. I didn't know that anyone enjoyed my singing, I just did it because it took me to another world. One where I could be myself._

_I started to sing. When I got to the second verse, he started to sing with me. _

_Don't look back when you reach the new shore,  
__Don't forget what you're leaving me for,  
Don't forget when you're missing me so,  
Love must never hold,  
Never hold tight but let go._

_I was shocked at the sound of his voice. It was a beautiful, sweet tenor. It sounded like honey._

_I continued to sing along with him, my soprano mixing with his tenor._

_When the song ended, he whispered, "Thank you." Then he was gone. _

_(End Flashback)_

From then on, I came back every night at the same time, waiting for him to come. He came, and still comes, every night. When I turned seven, he became my instructor and has been ever since.

I sighed. That was one of my favorite memories of the opera house.

I got up off my bed and walked out of my room into the hallway, humming the song that I learned long ago.

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A/N: Just to let you guys know, there won't be a lot of flashbacks in the story. I just had to do these to set it up.

_**The song that Bella sings in her flashback is **_**Send Me A Song **_**by Celtic Woman. It's a beautiful song. Listen to it on my website! Click on the homepage link and you're there!**_

_**So yeah… I hope you liked it. Review and tell be if I should keep going!**_

_**Peace Out!**_

**_Kitty_**


	2. Ch 2 Listening

_**A/N: Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter! Hope you liked that last one.**_

_**Here's Chapter 2!**_

_**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**_

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Chapter 2: Listening

_**(Bella's POV)**_

I walked into the opera house library. This place was like my second home. If I'm not in my rooms or in the private room in the upper levels where I have my lessons with my instructor, then you could find me here.

I went over to the classics section and found the very worn and familiar copy of _Wuthering Heights_. It was my favorite book of all time.

I pulled it off the shelf and went to sit in one of the chairs near the fireplace.

"Bella," I heard my name being called. I looked up to see Alice standing at the doorway.

"Hello, Alice," I said. I looked over at the window to see that it was already dark. "Oh my. I must have lost track of time," I said to myself.

I turned my attention back to Alice. "When did you get back, Alice?"

"Just a few minutes ago. Have you been reading all day again?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

I blushed a bit. "Maybe," I said.

She laughed as she came over to sit in the chair across from me.

"Did you have a pleasant time with Jasper?" I asked. I knew that every time you even mention Jasper's name, Alice gets all dreamy-eyed.

As if right on cue, Alice's eyes lit up and a smile graced her pixie-like face. "Oh, we had the best time. He is such a gentleman. He took me out to dinner and then he took me dancing. He is such an amazing dancer."

I giggled at Alice's starry-eyed look. "What?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing," I said. She gave me a look. I just laughed.

"It's just that you and Jasper are perfect for each other, that's all," I said.

"You really think so?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yes, I really do." I got up and walked back over to the book shelf and placed my book back on the shelf. I turned back around to Alice and said, "Let's go. I've got another lesson tonight."

"Oh, another lesson, huh?" Alice asked with a smile.

"Yes," I said as I headed towards the door with Alice next to me.

"Do you ever think you'll meet him?" she asked.

I sighed. "I would really like to."

"What's he like again?" Alice asked. "You don't talk about him much to anyone."

"Well, he has the most amazing voice. It's gotten a lot deeper since the first time I heard him. It's still beautiful though. His musical skills are phenomenal. He can play the piano beautifully. And that's pretty much all I know about him. You know I've never seen or met him."

She sighed. "That's true." We had just arrived at our rooms, when Alice said that she needed to go see her mother. I said goodbye and went into my room. I got cleaned up a bit because, even though I couldn't see him, I had this feeling that he could see me.

I grabbed a candle from my beside table and walked back out of my room to head up to my lesson room.

I snaked my way through the many hallways of the opera house and finally got to the door that I needed. I opened the door and went to sit down by the window. I looked out to see that the streets of London were just coming to life. The lights in all of the buildings and houses were coming on and illuminating the streets below.

"Isabella."

I was jerked back to reality at the sound of his voice. It was velvety smooth and soft. "Yes, Master?"

"Have you done what you were told?" he asked.

"Yes, master. I've rested my voice all day."

"Excellent. Do your warm ups and we'll get started," he instructed.

I started with my scales and my breathing exercises like I was told. Then we started working on the song that I was to sing in a performance later this week.

"Very good, Isabella," he said when we were finished. He rarely gave out compliments, so when he did I was ecstatic.

"Thank you, Master," I said. I had a large smile on my face and my voice sounded excited.

He chuckled his musical chuckle and then he was gone. I always knew when our lessons were finished, because, when he was here, you could feel his presence, but when he wasn't, there was absolutely nothing in the air.

I got up from my spot at the window, grabbed my candle, and headed back down the stairs to my rooms.

I was almost to my room when one of the younger girls stopped me. "Bella, Madam Esme wishes to speak with you."

"Alright. Thank you, Claire." She nodded and scurried back down the hallway to her friends. I changed directions and headed to Esme's office.

I arrived at Esme's office to find her looking over practice schedule for the week. I knocked on the door quietly. She looked up and smiled and beckoned me into the room.

"Hello, Bella. Thank you for coming," she said in her kind, gentle voice.

"It's no trouble ate all, Esme," I said as I sat in the chair on the other side of her desk.

She smiled at me. "I needed to discuss the performance for the end of this week. Have you been practicing with your instructor?"

"Yes, ma'am. I just came back from tonight's lesson," I replied.

"Good, good. It seems you're the only one who has been practicing," she sighed.

"It's alright, Esme. We always do well, whether we're ready or not," I reassured her. It's true though. It didn't matter if we weren't ready for a performance. We did well no matter what.

"That's true," she said. We discussed some other small details about the show and then she dismissed me.

"Goodnight, Bella. Sleep well," she said before I left.

"You too, Esme."

I closed the door quietly, so not to disturb anyone, and then I headed to my rooms.

I hadn't gotten very far, when I heard it. A soft melody was drifting through the ceiling. It was beautiful. It sounded familiar but I couldn't put a finger on where I had heard it before.

I started to walk in the direction of the music. It had this hypnotic sound to it. It was drawing me toward it. I got to the end of the hallway and realized that it was coming from the higher, and forbidden, levels of the opera house.

You see, Esme's office is in one of the older wings of the opera house. We are allowed to enter the upper levels of the newer wings because that's where some of the practice and storage rooms were found. The upper levels of the older wings are forbidden because they're not safe to go into. We students can be curious sometimes, so a little safety issue wouldn't have stopped us. The real reason that we don't go up there is because of the stories. People say that there is a ghost that haunts the upper levels of the old wings. They say that he can be heard playing the old instruments that are stored there at night when no one is around.

But I knew that he wasn't a ghost. A ghost couldn't the piano like this man could. I've heard him play more than once. Actually, it was the same tune that he was playing now. I was leaving Esme's office when I heard him playing. No one was around, like now, so I decided to try and find him. I went of the stairs and looked around but I found nothing, so I gave up.

I wanted to try again.

I looked around to see if anyone was near. No one was. I slowly opened the door to the stairway that led upstairs.

With one last look behind me, I stepped into the stairway and closed the door softly behind me. I held my candle up so that I could see where I was going. I may be a dancer, but when I wasn't dancing, I was extraordinarily clumsy.

I walked quietly up the stairs and opened the door at the top. It squeaked when I did. I cringed and hoped that no one heard. The music hadn't stopped, so I assumed that no one did.

I walked softly over the somewhat dusty floors of the upper levels. I was looking straight ahead, so I didn't see the old rug that I tripped over. I grabbed an old candle holder on the wall, so that I wouldn't fall flat on my face. But as I pulled on the candle holder, one of the branches pulled down and opened the wall. Yes, I said _opened the wall_.

I gasped and looked into the newly formed hallway. It was dimly lit by torches and I could hear the music coming from down the passageway.

I took a deep breath and walked into the hallway. At the end of the hall, there was a door. The music was coming from behind it.

I slowly and quietly walked down the hall towards the door. Once I reached the door, I placed my hand on the doorknob, took a deep breath, and opened the door.

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A/N: Ohh cliffy. Dun. Dun. DUN! Ha ha. Anyways, I hope you liked it!

_**review. Review. REVIEW!!**_

_**So yeah… that's it!**_

_**Peace Out!**_

_**Kitty **_


	3. Ch 3 Wondering

_**A/N: Hey Guys! I'm back with another chapter! Thank you so much for all of the reviews! They make me want to write more and more for you guys! Hope you liked that last chapter! So without further ado, I will relieve you of the suspense that I left you in. Here's Chapter 3!**_

_**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**_

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Chapter 3: Wondering

_**(Bella's POV)**_

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Previously in _**Beautiful Melodies:**_

_I slowly and quietly walked down the hall towards the door. Once I reached the door, I placed my hand on the doorknob, took a deep breath, and opened the door._

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I pushed open the door slowly and cringed when it squeaked loudly like all the other doors in the opera house.

I stopped moving the door, listening to make sure that no one had heard it, when I realized that nothing was making a sound. The music had abruptly stopped. The only thing I could hear was my ragged breathing.

I looked into the room and saw nothing but an assortment of old furniture and a beautiful antique piano. I looked all around me to make sure I was alone.

I walked slowly into the room, looking around as I did. Everything looked like it had been dusted recently, which was odd because no one was allowed up here.

I walked up to the piano and pushed down on one of the keys softly. It was perfectly in tune. If I assumed correctly, then this piano should have gone out of tune about twenty years ago by the looks of it.

I looked around the room again. On the other side of the room, hanging all along the wall, were many different sized paintings. I walked over to get a closer look. Most of the paintings were too faded to even see who or what was in the painting. The rest of the portraits were just old family portraits but one stood out from all the rest.

It was a simple family portrait but there was something about it that made me not want to look away. In the center, was a tall, very handsome man with dark brown hair. Sitting below him was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her face was angel-like and she had the strangest colored hair I had ever seen. It was a beautiful bronze color. Her eyes were the most piercing emerald green I had ever seen. They looked like they could look into your soul. Standing to her left was a very handsome young boy. He looked to be about five or so. He had the same color hair and eyes has his mother. He had on a small lopsided smile that just made him even more handsome.

I looked closer at the painting and saw that it had been painted seventeen years ago. The boy must be at least twenty-one by now or older.

I stood there looking at the painting for who knows how long. I was completely mesmerized by it and I had know idea why. Was it the beautiful woman or the small, handsome boy with the lopsided smile? I didn't know.

I sighed after what seemed like forever and looked away from the portrait. I was about to leave the room when I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I spun around to see what it was. There was nothing there. I looked around hastily to see if there was anything lurking in the corners. The room was as empty as it was when I walked in.

I realized that I didn't want to be in here anymore, so I picked up my candle and quickly left the room. I closed the door behind me and pretty much ran down the tunnel. I pushed the candle stick back into its original place and watched as the tunnel entrance closed by itself. Once it was closed, I headed down the hallway and down the stairs.

Once I was downstairs, I closed the stairway door and went strait to my rooms. All the way there I felt like I was being watched.

Once I was in my rooms, I laughed nervously to myself as I closed the door behind me. "Bella, you're just paranoid. No one is watching you. You're fine." I can't believe I was talking to myself. Maybe I was going crazy, or maybe not. Who knows?

"Bella," someone said from my bed. I jumped about ten feet in the air and yelped. I spun around to see Alice sitting on my bed. It's official, I'm paranoid and crazy.

Alice was just sitting on my bed, staring at me with a confused look on my face. "Are you all right, Bella?" she asked, warily.

"Me? Oh, yes, I'm fine. You just startled me, is all," I said a little too quickly to show Alice that I was okay.

"Are you sure? You've never acted this way before," she said. She sounded concerned.

I was debated on telling her about the room and what I had seen. I wasn't sure if I should but she was my best friend and the closest thing to a sister that I've ever had, so I decided that she should know.

I went to sit next to her on the bed and took a deep breath to calm myself. "Alright, well after you left to talk to Esme, I went to my lesson." She nodded for me to continue. "It went well tonight. He even complimented me tonight. You know that me doesn't do that a lot. Anyway, I was coming back from my lesson when Esme said that she needed to see me to discuss the performance this week. When she dismissed me, no one was near Esme's office. I was about to come back hear when I heard someone playing the piano from the upper levels."

Alice interrupted me. "Bella, you didn't go up there, did you?" I didn't say anything. I just looked at my hands. She gasped. "Bella, it's dangerous up there. You know that we're forbidden to go up there."

"Yes, Alice, I know that, but the song that was being played just seemed so familiar. I'd heard it before but I couldn't remember where I had heard it. I was curious," I said, defending myself.

She gave me a look but nodded for me to continue. "Anyway, what I was saying was that when I reached the top of the stairs, I tripped and I caught this candle stick and the wall opened to a tunnel."

Alice's eyes got wide. Either she was shocked or she was hiding something, but I knew that it wasn't the latter because Alice would never hide something like this from me.

"You didn't go in, did you?" she asked, her eyes getting wider. I nodded. She threw her hands up in the air. "Bella, what are we going to do with you?" she asked, shaking her head.

I shrugged and continued on. "At the end of the tunnel was this room and that's where I heard the music coming from. I went to open the door but when I looked in the room, no one was there." I shook my head at that. I knew that someone was there before I came in that room. The piano couldn't play itself.

I heard Alice let out a sigh… of relief? I couldn't be sure, but I didn't want to ask about it. "I went in anyway to see what was in there though. There was this really beautiful portrait of this family. There was something about it that was just so mesmerizing."

She nodded like she knew what I was talking about. I gave her a confused look but she didn't say anything else. "Well, it seems like you had an interesting night."

"Yes. Yes, I did," I said as I took another deep breath.

She just laughed quietly while shaking her head at me. She got up off the bed and turned towards me and said, "Well, I'm going to go and get ready for bed, so I'll see you tomorrow. Sleep well, Bella."

"Alright. Goodnight, Alice," I called as she left.

I got up from my bed and got myself ready for bed. All the while, I was thinking that that portrait had something to do with that song. This was going to bother me until I got to the bottom of it.

I climbed into bed and laid down, waiting for sleep to come to me. When it finally did, I dreamt of small boys with lopsided grins and green eyes and beautiful melodies floating through the air around him.

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A/N: Oh, I know, I know. I'm a cruel person for not letting you guys know who was playing the music, but I thought that the story could use a little bit more suspense. But you'll just have to keep reading (and reviewing) to find out. The more you review the faster the updates. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_**Please, please, please REVIEW!**_

_**Peace Out!**_

_**Kitty **_


	4. Ch 4 Watching

_**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for all of the reviews. You guys are great! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! So, I'll let you read now.**_

_**Here's Chapter 4!**_

_**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**_

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Chapter 4: Watching

_**(Bella's POV)**_

It had been three days since I had seen the portrait and heard the haunting melody coming from the upper levels of the opera house. No matter what I did, I couldn't get that picture out of my head. For some reason, I had a feeling that it was important but I didn't have the slightest idea why.

I threw my legs off of my bed and got up slowly. I had the same feeling of being watched as I did three days ago. I looked around my room, but I saw no one.

I got dressed quickly and went out into the hall. I wanted to get out of that room. It was starting to really creep me out.

Today was the day of the performance. It was just a collection of songs that were to be sung by some of the vocalists with choreographed routines to match the song. We had been working on it for a while now. I was to sing a piece, that's what I was working on with my instructor, and I had to dance in some of the others.

The performance started at seven, so that meant that we still had quite a while before we needed to start getting ready.

I decided to go to the library because that was the only place where I could feel calm and safe. I went over to my favorite section of the library and found a book and went to sit down in my nook.

I had been reading for about an hour, when I felt it again. I looked around warily, looking to see if anyone was in the library. I was the only one. I went back to my book, trying to shake the feeling, but after another ten minutes of the irritating feeling, I closed my book and went to put it away.

It seemed like I couldn't get away from this feeling. It was like someone was following my every movement.

I walked quickly out of the library, attempting, and failing, to get away from who was causing me to feel this way.

I was about to turn the corner, when I heard faint footsteps trailing behind me. I spun around to see who it was. No one was there and the foot steps had stopped. I turned around and continued on my way. The footsteps started up again. I spun around again to see absolutely nothing again. My breathing started to speed up.

I was slowly becoming frightened. I wanted to go and hide in my room for the rest of my life, but, alas, I didn't. I was curious, and stubborn, by nature, so I turned towards where I had heard the footsteps and followed the path that I had heard them on.

I followed the path that the steps had been and when I turned the corner, I saw a shadow turn the corner into another hallway.

I quietly as I could, I followed. It was obviously a man. A woman wouldn't be that tall or have hair that short.

I was catching up with him, but I could still only see his shadow. I was about to round the same corner when the shadow disappeared. I ran to see where it went, but there was nothing there.

I sighed. There was absolutely no point in trying to find this person. He was too quick for me to catch anyway.

I shook my head as I headed back to my rooms.

"Bella, hold still," Alice chided quietly as she continued to pull my hair.

"I would if you would quit trying to rip my hair out," I retorted back. It was almost the last song of the night. Mine. The performance so far had been wonderful and I was the last to perform.

Alice was one of the dancers that would dance behind me as I sang my song. She was wearing a pale blue strapless leotard that was connected to a even paler blue tulle skirt that was lightly dusted with glitter. She has on white tights and her white point shoes _**(pic on website)**_. Her black hair was pulled back into a tight bun at the back on her head.

Alice was curling my hair before I had to go on and Rose was doing my make-up. Rose was wearing the same outfit as Alice, as she was one of the dancers as well.

When she was done my hair was curled and pull all to one side _**(pic on website)**_. My make-up was light as well, just enough to make my eyes stand out. My dress was different, obviously, from the dancers. It was a strapless floor-length sapphire blue dress that hugged my chest and then flared out at the waist. The bodice had silver embroidery on the right side. The skirt was bunched in some places and held there with sliver fastenings _**(pic on website)**_.

I was a little nervous about tonight. It's not that I wasn't ready. No that wasn't it at all. I had been practicing my piece for almost three months now. It was the fact that I still felt like I was being watched. I hadn't told anyone about early today, so that no one would worry.

I shook my head, pushing the feeling to the back of my mind. The piece before mine had just ended and I could hear the applause.

"Ladies, ladies, get in your places," I heard Esme calling to the dancers.

After she got everyone in order, she came up to me. "Bella, darling, you look beautiful."

I blushed slightly. "Thank you."

She smiled and asked, "Are you ready?"

I nodded and smiled at her. "Alright. I'll see you after your done. Good luck."

I nodded again and took a deep breath. I walked to my spot on the stage and waited for the curtain to open. I looked around the stage and saw that the backdrop to my performance was a snow covered forest with a full moon supposedly glowing down on top. A light mist of fog floated through the trees.

The curtain opened with a gentle _whoosh _to reveal the many people in the audience. I usually wasn't good in front of crowds but when I was singing or dancing, I just blocked them from my mind and did what I did best.

The room went completely silent as a soft melody started to play and a fog started to gently roll out from both sides of the stage. _**(I encourage you to go to my website and click the play button next to the video that says "Bella's Performance Song" and listen to the song as you read the next part. It makes the scene so much better.)**_

_We are the lucky ones  
__We shine like a thousand suns  
__When all of the color runs together_

The dancers started to slowly pirouette out from the sides of the stage, one after the other, the fogs swirling around their feet.

_I'll keep you company  
__In one glorious harmony  
__Waltzing with destiny forever_

The dancers twirled as I continued to sing.

_Dance me into the night  
__Underneath the moon shining so bright  
__Turning me into the light_

I was about to start the second verse of my song, when a man appeared out of nowhere and took my hand and started to dance with me. He was wearing an all black tuxedo with tails. He was wearing a black mask that covered the top of his nose. He had bronze colored hair that shone in the light. I gasped in shock. This definitely wasn't part of the performance. But I was a professional, so I continued to sing.

_Time dances whirling past  
__I gaze through the looking glass  
__And feel just beyond my grasp is heaven_

I looked up into the man's eyes to see that they were a bright, sparkling emerald green. They looked so familiar.

_Sacred geometry  
__Where movement is poetry  
__Visions of you and me forever_

He continued to spin me around the stage as the dancers danced around us. Some of the them looked shocked, but they continued, just like I had.

_Dance me into the night  
__Underneath the moon shining so bright  
__Turning me into the light_

_Dance me into the night  
__Underneath the moon shining so bright_

As the song slowed, so did we. He continued to look into my eyes with his emerald green gaze.

_Let the dark waltz begin  
__Oh let me wheel - let me spin  
__Let it take me again  
__Turning me into the light_

When I finished singing the last word, he brought my hand to his lips and kissed it gently. Then he disappeared as fast as he appeared.

I stared off into the direction he went as the orchestra played the last note of the piece. The audience erupted into applause. I shook myself out of my daze long enough to give a curtsy as the dancers curtsied behind me.

As soon as the curtain closed, I ran backstage. I looked around frantically. He was nowhere in sight.

Alice and Rose came running after me. "Who was that?" Rose asked.

"I have no idea," I breathed. Then I looked at Alice, who was being surprisingly quiet.

"Alice, did you know who it was?" I asked.

"No," she said, with a shake of her head. "I've never seen him before in my life." I didn't believe her. She had this look on her face that just wasn't Alice-like, but I didn't push it because she would have told me if there was something wrong.

"Alright," I sighed. "Well, this is just a mystery that we'll have to solve on another day."

They both nodded.

For the rest of the night, I was bombarded with questions about the mystery man. I told them all that I didn't know who he was and that was the end of that.

Once I was in my room, I changed out of my dress and fell onto my bed. I was exhausted from tonight's activities.

After a minute of just lying there, I shot up. I know where I've seen those eyes and hair before. They were the same as the little boy's from the painting I saw a few days ago. But they couldn't be the same person. Couldn't they be? No, not at all.

I laid back down and, after a minute or two, fell asleep and dreamed of handsome men with green eyes and bronze hair. Not knowing that I was still being watched at this very moment.

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A/N: Okay, so I hope you guys liked that.

_**I had so much fun writing the performance scene. Just imagine dancers dancing in the background while a strikingly handsome masked man twirls you around while a haunting melody is being played with fog swirling around your feet.**_

_**Sigh. Sorry. That's just one of my weird fantasies.**_

_**Bella's dress and hair are on my website, along with the song that she sang, the dancer's outfit, the backdrop, and a picture of the Eclipse Opera house and the song that Bella sang in her flashback in chapter 1. Go check it out if you wish. Just click on the homepage link on my profile.**_

_**And I nearly just had a heart attack, because, as I was writing this chapter, the Twilight trailer came on. I love that thing! It's freakin' awesome!!!**_

_**Anyways, you guys probably already know what's coming in the next line, but I'm going to tell you anyway.**_

_**REVIEW! REVIEW!! REVIEW!!!**_

_**Yeah… that's it! Sorry for the long A/N! Peace!**_

_**Kitty**_


	5. Ch 5 Dancing

_**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for all of the awesome reviews! I'm glad you enjoyed that last chapter and now let's go on the next one.**_

_**Here's Chapter 5!**_

_**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**_

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Chapter 5: Dancing

_**(Bella's POV)**_

It had been a week since the performance and the appearance of the mystery man. There had been rumors and gossip flying around the Eclipse since the performance.

But everything was happening out of the ordinary since then, which was odd, because odd things were the ordinary here.

I was waiting in my room for Alice to get there. Esme had put she and I in charge of planning the annual Christmas Eve Masquerade Ball. Everyone loved the ball, it was one of the most anticipated balls of the year.

Finally, she walked through the doors as if she had all the time in the world. "Sorry, I'm late," she said as she sat down on the bed next to me.

"It's alright. Were you with Jasper?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

She blushed slightly. "Maybe, but that is not what we're here for?" she hedged.

I just laughed at her as we got to work planning the best ball of the year.

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Two Weeks Later

_December 24, 1899_

"Bella, you look beautiful," Esme said as she walked up to us in the ballroom. The ballroom was covered in vibrant green garland, bright red ribbons, and gold decorations that sparkled in the light of the chandelier that hung overhead.

I blushed. "Thank you, Esme," I said. She was talking about the beautiful silver dress that Alice had gotten for me. It was strapless with a metallic finish on the top half of the dress with sparkling silver beading along the right side with a silver mask to match. Alice was wearing a light pink strapless gown that hugged her figure perfectly along with a pink mask to match. Rosalie, who was off somewhere with Emmett, was wearing a deep red satin gown that fell gracefully to the ground towards her ankles. Her mask was a brilliant red that matched her dress perfectly.

It was the night of the Christmas Eve Masquerade Ball and everyone had just finished eating the supper that was prepared for tonight. Alice and I had worked very hard to plan this ball and make it the best it has ever been.

"Alright, girls. You go on and have fun," Esme said with a warm smile as she went to go find her husband.

"Come on, Bella. Let's dance," Alice said over the music that the orchestra was playing. I laughed and nodded my head as she pulled me onto the dance floor where we danced together like we did when we were children. I loved the carefree atmosphere of the ball, even if it meant getting dressed up for it.

After we danced for a little while, Alice went to find Jasper. I went over to a table to rest. I was awfully tired. Staying awake until almost midnight for two weeks planning a ball and still having to practice my ballet and singing was very tough work for a seventeen year old girl and the shoes that Alice made me wear where making my feet scream. I slipped my feet out of them to rest them.

I looked up to see Emmett, Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper dancing in the middle of the dance floor. It looked like they were the only ones dancing. The other dancers had moved off to the side so not to be embarrassed by the couples' gracefulness on the dance floor.

A flash of jealousy flew through my body as I looked at how my friends looked up into their partners eyes, but I quickly shook it away. I knew that one day, the man that I loved would find me and I would have my chance to look like that to other people. And, besides, I wanted my friends to be happy. They deserved it.

I closed my eyes to clear my head for a second. I sighed and reached down to put my shoes on, when I realized that they weren't where I left them. I turned to look around my chair when I saw a man holding them. I looked up to see who it was. I muffled a gasp when I saw that it was the same man from the performance almost three weeks ago. Only this time he was wearing a black tuxedo with a silver bow tie.

This was the first time that I, or anyone else, had seen him since then.

"Hello," he said in a soft velvet-like voice.

"Hello," I said quietly, still in shock.

"Were you looking for these?" he asked, motioning towards the shoes in his hand. I nodded, still looking into his eyes.

I just expected him to just give them back to me, but instead he knelt down on one knee and took my foot in his hand and slid the shoe on himself. His eyes never left mine as he did both feet. When he had put both on, he rose from his position and asked, "Would you like to dance?"

I didn't know what to do. I didn't even know the man, but for some reason, I felt that I could trust him. I gave him a timid smile and said, "Yes. That would be nice."

He took my small hand in his large one and lifted me out of my chair. Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie were still dancing when he pulled me onto the dance floor. Some of the guests were staring at us as we walked to the dance floor.

When we were near the middle of the floor, he spun around to face me as a new song began to play. He bowed to me and I curtsied back. He took my right hand in his left and placed his other hand on my waist, while I placed my other hand on his shoulder.

As the song played, he twirled me around the floor, his eyes never leaving mine. I was pressed up against his hard chest. I was oddly comfortable I his arms and I had completely forgotten about the other people in the room and I had no idea why.

I laid my head on his chest and discovered the most comforting smell in all the world. Him. I just wanted to melt.

I dreaded the end of the song because I had a feeling that he would disappear like he did before and I didn't want him to leave. I wanted to learn everything about him. But, alas, the song came to a end and, just as I expected, he placed a gentle kiss on my hand as he looked into my eyes with his emerald green orbs and then he disappeared into the crowd without a single word.

I quickly left the dance floor before anyone else decided to stare at me. That was extremely awkward. I went out into the hallway to escape the stares that were boring into me from every angle.

I heard the clicking of heels and I turned to see Alice and Rose come out into the hallway. They rushed over to me and started shooting questions at me. "Was that him again?" Alice asked.

I nodded but didn't say anything. "Did he say anything to you?" Rosalie wanted to know.

"Not really. All he said was hello and he asked if I wanted to dance and that's it," I said as I laid my head back against the wall. "I just want to go to bed. I'm really tired."

They nodded in understanding and said that they would see me in the morning and then they went back into the ballroom.

I walked back to my rooms and changed into my nightgown and laid down under my covers, but I didn't go to sleep. I couldn't. A pair of emerald green eyes kept flashing through my head. All I wanted to know was who he was and that wasn't possible because I didn't even know his name.

I sighed and rolled over. What was wrong with me? I've never been this intrigued with a man before in my life.

Well, I wasn't going to find out tonight, so I rolled back over until I found a comfortable position and then, after many hours of just staring at the ceiling, finally going to sleep as the emerald eyes floated through my dreams once again.

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A/N: Well, there you go. Hope you liked that. For the dance scene, just imagine a waltz being played or something of the sort. I couldn't find the right one on the internet, so there's no video to listen to on my website but the pictures of the dresses are. Go check it out if you wish.

_**Anyway, I have this new poll on my profile. Please vote!**_

_**review. Review! REVIEW!**_

_**Yeah… it's kinda like 2:13 a.m. here, so I'm gonna wrap it up now.**_

_**Peace out!**_

_**Kitty**_


	6. Ch 6 Discovering

_**A/N: Hey guys!!! Thanks for all of the amazing reviews! Ya'll are AWESOME!! Sorry for the wait. Trying to type with one hand while the other one is in a wrist brace that goes up to my elbow is well… not very easy. I was at volleyball practice and I dove for the ball and I landed weird on my wrist, hence the uber-sized wrist brace. Anyway, I'll let you guys read now.**_

_**Here's Chapter 6!**_

_**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**_

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Chapter 6: Discovering

_**(Bella's POV)**_

"Bella! Bella! Bella! Wake up! Wake up!" a high pitched voice exclaimed excitedly as a small body jumped up and down on my bed. Alice.

"Alice, I'm up," I said so that she would stop bouncing on me. "And why exactly did you wake me up at this ungodly hour?"

"Because it's Christmas, silly," she said happily. "Now get up. You have presents to open."

I glared at her. "I told you that you didn't need to buy me anything."

"Well, I didn't listen, so come on," she said as she pulled me out of bed. "Oh, and you have a special present over on your vanity."

"Huh?" I was confused. _A special present? _I pulled a sweater over my nightgown and walked over to my vanity.

Sitting on the vanity counter were two small rectangular boxes wrapped in blood red paper.

"Bella, open it!" Alice said as she bounced with excitement.

I reached down to pick up the smaller of the two boxes. I ripped off the paper to find a small black velvet box. I opened it to find the two most beautiful earrings I had ever seen in my life _**(picture on website)**_. They were diamond earrings that were encased in silver. I gasped in shock and surprise, but I didn't say anything. I didn't know _what_ to say.

But before I let myself go into some world of absolute shock, I reached for the other box and ripped off the paper and found a box similar to the first one, but it was longer. I opened it to reveal a sparkling necklace that matched the earrings _**(picture on website)**_.

These gifts had to probably the two most expensive things I had ever gotten in my life and I had no idea who or where they came from. I looked around the table for a note of some kind but all I found was a single white rose tied with a silky black ribbon. I picked up the rose and held it gently in my hand.

I turned to Alice and asked, "Alice, did you buy these for me? Because if you did, you will be very sorry. Do you know how expensive these gifts are?"

She nodded. "I know how expensive those gifts could be, but I didn't buy them for you. You must have an admirer." She giggled once, as if laughing to a private joke. I cocked an eyebrow at her, silently asking her what she was up to, but she just shook her head.

"Come on. Everyone's waiting," she dodged skillfully. She started to walk towards the door but she turned around right before she reached for the doorknob. She spun around and came over to me. "Bella, you should wear the necklace and earrings." I looked at her for a reason.

She sighed as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and said, "So everyone can see them, of course. Those gifts are much too beautiful to be left in this room."

I knew I wasn't going to win this fight, so I agreed. "Alright, can you help me with the necklace?" She nodded and skipped over to help me. When she finished with the necklace and I had put in the earrings, she gasped. "Bella, they're so pretty."

I smiled at her as we went down to meet with her family.

* * *

After we had all had breakfast and opened presents with Alice's family, I thanked them all again for the gifts that they weren't supposed to get me and I headed up to my room. I knew that Alice wouldn't be much company for the next few hours. She was always disappearing for a few hours on Christmas day to go somewhere that she wouldn't tell me. I knew that she wanted to keep this one secret from me, so I respected her because she always told me about everything else.

I walked into my room and over to the table where the white rose was still sitting. I picked and twirled the stem in between my fingers. Who could have sent it?

I racked my brain for someone who might have sent them, but came up with no one. I had asked all of Alice's family but they all denied giving them to me.

I sighed an rolled over on my bed and closed my eyes for only a moment and the next thing I know is that the sky outside had turned pink with the setting sun.

I sat up and got off my bed to see if I could find Alice. She should be back by now. I walked into the hall and down to Alice's room. I knocked on the door but no one responded. "Alice?" I called through the door. Nothing. I turned the knob to find that it was open. I opened the door to see if Alice was in the room, but I found no one.

I wandered over towards Carlisle's office. Carlisle was the owner of Eclipse and Alice's father. He was like a father to me as well.

I knocked on the door and, once again, no one answered. Where was everyone?

I let out a frustrated sigh and headed towards Esme's office to check there. Once again, I knocked and got the exact same answer. Nothing.

I was about to go back to my room to find something to do with myself (apparently no one wanted to let me know where they were), when I heard it again. The melody floated through the ceiling above me. This was the first time in almost a month, that I had heard it and I really wanted to know who was playing it.

I walked quickly and quietly up the stairs that led up to the upper levels and down the hallway at the top of the staircase. I went over to the candle holder and pulled down the middle tick. The all slid open smoothly. I could still hear the music being played softly from down the dark corridor.

I snuck quietly down the hall and up to the door at the end. I put my hand on the doorknob and gently turned it, praying that the door wouldn't squeak as I did. I pushed the door open and was shocked to say the least.

I wasn't expecting to see was a young man playing the old grand piano that I had seen on my earlier visit.

Apparently he hadn't noticed that I was standing there since his back was to me, so I decided to just listen and watch. He had tousled bronze-colored hair and he was wearing very nice-looking clothes so I knew that he wasn't just some man who haunted the opera house.

I could see his fingers moving gracefully across the keys of the piano. The song seemed so familiar, but I just couldn't remember where I had heard it before. It was beautiful though. It was soft and gentle sounding. Like a lullaby.

I continued listening for a few minutes until he stopped playing. He placed his hands in his lap for a moment and let out a sigh. He sounded sort of sad, in a way.

Then he turned around.

I had to hold in a gasp. He was the most strikingly handsome man that I had ever seen in my life. He had bright green eyes that sparkled like emeralds, a perfectly angular face, and his hair looked even more windblown from the front but it only made him look even better.

"Hello, Miss Swan," he said in an amazingly velvet-like voice.

I snapped out of my stupor. Wait. Did he just say my name? "H-how do you know my name?" I finally asked after a minute.

He chuckled softly. "I believe everyone knows your name," he said with a crooked smile that would make any girl faint on the spot. I was barely hanging on to consciousness myself.

"Huh?" I asked. This man is making lose my train of thought too much.

He chuckled again as he got up from the piano bench and started walking towards me. "Well, you are the best known vocalist at the Eclipse," he said as he swept his hand to indicate the opera house. "Not to mention the youngest of all time." He was right in front of me now. My breath hitched. I've never had someone as beautiful as him standing this close to me.

He reached down to take my hand and brought it to his lips. He kissed it gently while looking at me the entire time with his amazingly green eyes. I blushed bright red.

I didn't know why my body was reacting this way. Sure, I blush all the time but that didn't explain this. Men didn't make my breathing start to stutter.

He finally took his lips from my hand and placed it back by my side. But before he put his hand down, his eyes traveled down to where the diamond necklace was still hanging around my neck. He picked it up with his long fingers and said, "My, my. What a lovely necklace." He had a slight smile on his face for some unknown reason to me and his eyes seemed to light up.

"It was a gift," I said simply.

He nodded and that was all that was said about it.

When I finally got a hold of myself, I went back to the original subject and asked, "Well since obviously everyone already knows my name, might I ask what yours is?"

He flashed that crooked smile again and said with a small bow of his head, "How terribly rude of me. My name is Edward Masen."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Mr. Masen," I said with a curtsy. "May I ask where you learned to play he piano so beautifully?" I didn't know where I had gotten the courage to even ask that question.

"I was taught by a family member long ago. I just continued with my practicing by myself from then on," he said as he walked back over to the piano. I stood at the door until he beckoned me forward. I hesitated for a moment, not knowing if I could trust him, but walked into the room anyway. He sat down on the piano bench and motioned for me to do the same. I sat down next to him and looked up at his face. He was much taller than I realized. His eyes caught mine and held them. I couldn't look away.

_What are you doing? Get a hold of yourself!_ I scolded myself.

I quickly looked away from his eyes so not to be caught by them again.

"Umm, I don't mean to be rude, but do you mind if I ask why your up here? I mean, technically, we're not even allowed up here," I asked, still not looking at him.

"Ah, I had a feeling that you were going to ask that, but that is a story that will have to wait for another visit," he said.

"Another visit?" I asked confused. I didn't know that I was coming back.

"You'll find your way back here eventually. You're too curious for your own good," he said with a small grin.

"And how do you know that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You're a teenage girl. Most of you are naturally curious," Edward said with a smirk and a shrug.

I giggled once. "I have to admit that that's true."

A long silence stretched between us until he turned back to his piano and began to play. I recognized the song instantly.

"Claire de Lune?"

"You like Debussy?" he asked as he continued to play.

"Yes, my mother used to play it when I was small," I said, looking away. Tears where starting to form in my eyes. This happened whenever I thought about my parents. I missed them terribly. But I blinked back the tears. I didn't want to cry in front of Edward. That would be beyond embarrassing.

It was quiet until Edward finished the piece. "That was beautifully done, Mr. Masen," I said.

He chuckled. "I think I'm a little young for you to be calling me Mr. Masen, don't you think?" he asked.

"Well, I don't know how old you are, so I wouldn't know," I said truthfully.

"I turn twenty-three in June," he said, matter-of-factly.

"Oh, well then I guess you're right then. What shall I call you then?" I asked.

"Edward is fine," he said.

"And you can call me Bella," I said with a smile.

"Alright, Bella, I think that it's time for you to head back down. Someone is looking for you."

He was confusing me again. "How do you know that?"

"Let's just say I have my ways," he said with that crooked smile again.

I looked at him skeptically, but I got up from the piano bench and so did he. Edward and I walked over to the door. He turned to me and picked up my hand and kissed it again. "Until next time, Bella."

I nodded and left the room in a daze. When I was at the end of the hallway, I looked back to see if he was still there. He wasn't. I sighed as I walked down the stairs. This was just another mystery that I wanted to solve.

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A/N: Yay! Edward has finally been revealed! I hope you enjoyed that! Sorry again for the wait. Pics of Bella's jewelry is on my website. Check it out if you wish.

_**Also, please continue voting on my pole! It's very important! I would like to thank the people who have voted so far! Thanks guys!**_

_**Review! Review! Review!**_

_**Anyway, yeah that's it. Peace!**_

_**Kitty**_


	7. Ch 7 Talking

_**A/N: Howdy ya'll!! Thanks for all the reviews! They're awesome! Anyway, yeah… Sorry about the wait. I wanted to finish writing my other story before I got too into this story. But I'm back so there's no need to fret. And I'm out of my brace so I can type fast now! Whoo!**_

_**So if having Edward appear out of nowhere wasn't enough, I'm going to throw in some more drama just for you guys! Sounds fun right? I sure think so!**_

_**So, I'm going to quit rambling and let you read!**_

_**Enjoy Chapter 7!**_

_**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**_

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Chapter 7: Talking

_**(Bella's POV)**_

I hurried down the stairs and closed the door quickly just as I heard someone calling my name. I rushed away from the staircase, so that no one would suspect me of even going near them.

I turned the corner and saw Alice walking towards me. When she spotted me, she rushed over to me. "Where have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you," she said, exasperated.

"I was just about to ask you the same question. Where have _you_ been?" I asked.

"I was with Jasper," she said smoothly. I knew it wasn't true because the only time she's with Jasper on Christmas is in the morning and late evening, but I didn't say anything about it.

"Oh, I was just looking for you," I said. _I just recently started looking for you _I corrected in my mind. I would have told Alice, but the last time I told her that I had gone up there, she freaked.

"Well, here I am," she said with a flourish. "What do you want to do?"

"Well…" I hesitated. "Uh, never mind. I think I'll just go to bed. I'm really tired."

She gave me a look but didn't say anything about my not-so smooth hedge. "Alright. I'll see you in the morning, Bella."

"Good night, Alice," I called as I headed towards my room.

I threw myself down on my bed, trying to organize my thoughts. How did Edward know someone was looking for me? Actually, what the real question was, why was he up there in the first place?

God, was I confused. I just pushed the thought to the back of my head, waiting to ponder them at another time, and got ready for bed.

* * *

I woke up slowly the next day, trying to remember if last night was real or just a dream. I made myself believe that all of it was reality and not just some crazy dream. I don't think I'm creative enough to create such a god. He was too perfect to be real, but I made myself believe he was.

And I had proof to prove that he was real. The two times that he appeared out of nowhere, were not just my mind playing tricks on me. Rose and Alice saw him too.

I got out of bed and got dressed so that I could head down to breakfast. I threw on a light blue dress and went downstairs and into the dining hall.

I hadn't realized that I was humming until Alice asked, "What song is that?"

I stopped humming immediately when I realized that I was humming the song that Edward had been playing when I saw him last night. "Oh, just something that I'd heard recently," I replied quickly and dropped the subject.

After breakfast, Esme told me that I was to have a visitor today at ten. I had no clue as to who it could be, so I didn't say anything about it.

I looked at the clock and saw that it was 9:30. I headed upstairs to get ready for my unknown visitor. I kept on the same dress, but brushed my hair again and pulled part of it back with a small clip.

I heard a quiet knock on the door and went to answer it. Claire, one of the younger students, was standing there. "Yes, Claire?" I asked.

"Madam Esme said that your visitor is here and that he is waiting in the parlor," she said, shyly.

"Thank you, Claire," I said with a smile. She really was a sweet girl. She nodded and headed back down the stairs, probably wanting to get back to her friends.

Wait. Did Claire just say "_he _was waiting for me in the parlor?" I sighed. This could only mean one thing. I had another unwanted suitor. I didn't have any brothers or male cousins that would visit me. My father had been dead for most of my life. So that only left one thing: suitors. And most of them were unwanted.

_You wouldn't mind if Edward was one of those suitors _a traitorous voice said inside my head. I immediately shook that thought out of my head. I didn't even know Edward that well. Actually, I didn't know him at all. All I knew was his name and that he was to turn twenty-three in June.

But one part of me agreed with the voice. Even if I didn't know much about Edward, I felt very safe around him.

I made my way down the stairs and towards the parlor. The sooner I told this man that I wasn't interested, the better.

I walked into the parlor and saw Carlisle and a young man with long, shiny black hair pulled back with a leather tie. By the look of his clothes I could see that he was very wealthy. His clothes were made of some of the finest fabrics in the land. He had a handsome face, but there was something about him that was just plain ugly. Not in his appearance, but in the way he held himself and how he talked to Carlisle. He wasn't being rude, but there was an undertone of something that I couldn't and wouldn't trust.

When Carlisle and the man saw that I had arrived, Carlisle beckoned me forward. "Ah, Bella, so good of you to join us."

"It's my pleasure, Carlisle," I said, out of politeness, not actual pleasure.

"This is Jacob Black," Carlisle introduced the man next to him. "Jacob, this is Isabella Swan."

Jacob took my hand in his and brought it to his lips and gave it a gentle kiss. "It's a honor to finally meet the famous Isabella." I gave him as sweet a smile as I could manage as I resisted the urge to run up to my room and wash my hand repeatedly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Black," I said, with a forced smile.

"Call me Jacob. Mr. Black is my father," he said with a laugh. Carlisle laughed with him. I forced a laugh, trying to be polite.

"Alright, Jacob," I said. My cheeks were beginning to ache from all of the forced smiling that I was doing.

"I'll let you two get acquainted with each other," Carlisle said as he walked out of the room.

Once Carlisle had left, I just stood there, not even trying to make conversation with him. I didn't like him, no matter how polite he was.

"So, Isabella --" I cut him off.

"It's Bella," I said in a somewhat rough voice. I detested my full name.

"Alright, Bella, would you like to accompany me on a stroll around the gardens," he asked. He had a odd undertone to his voice.

"No thank you, Mr. Black, I'm afraid that I've already made plans for the rest of the day," I lied as I looked up at the clock. "And now I must leave to get ready in time for them." I got up from the chair that I had taken a seat in and started to walk towards the door. But before I could make it to the door, I felt a large hand clamp around my wrist. I whipped around, trying to pull my wrist away from him. "Would you please let go of me," I said, still trying to pull my hand free.

"I was told that you didn't have any plans for today, that's why I came when I did," he said, holding on tighter to my wrist. "So, since I came all the way to London for you, I would like to spend the day with you," he said in a sickly-sweet voice.

Okay, this guy had some major issues. Couldn't he see that I didn't want to spend the day with him. "Well, I made plans before you arrived, so if you'll excuse me, I need to get ready." With that I ripped my arm from his grasp, and ran towards the exit.

"I'll be back, Miss Swan," he called after me. What a creep! I can't they actually let him in the building. He's probably got everyone wrapped around his finger so tight that no one would notice his creepiness.

I ran up to my room and locked the door. I didn't want to see anyone right now. I was still a bit shaken from what happened down in the parlor. I had never been treated like that before by a man.

Then I heard the melody again. It was floating through the ceiling, softer than usual because it was farther away, but it was still there.

I made a split-second decision and jumped off my bed and made my way to the secret room in the forbidden levels of the opera.

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A/N: Okay, I couldn't resist. I had to make Jacob the bad guy. I'm sorry if you're a Jacob-lover, but I'm an Edward girl. It's not that I don't like Jacob, I actually like him as a person, but what I don't like about him is how he behaves when Edward's around. He is a really good friend to Bella when they're by themselves or with the pack, but then he gets all cocky and standoffish when he's around Edward, so that kinda ruined him for me.

_**But enough of my ranting. I wanted to apologize for the lack of updates over the past week or so. I wanted to finish off one of my other stories that I had been writing for over half a year. But now it's done and that means I have more time to update this story (and for those of you who read my other story **_**On Opposite Ends**_**, I'll be updating that one soon).**_

_**Yeah, REVIEW! And vote for my poll if you haven't already done so. Please and thank you.**_

_**Wow… long A/N. Sorry about that. Anyway, Peace!**_

_**Kitty **_


	8. Ch 8 Visiting

_**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews! I hope you liked that last chapter. I just recently took my other story **_**On Opposite Ends **_**off hiatus, so go check that one out if you wish.**_

_**Here's Chapter 8!**_

_**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**_

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Chapter 8: Visiting

_**(Bella's POV)**_

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Previously in

_**Beautiful Melodies:**_

_Then I heard the melody again. It was floating through the ceiling, softer than usual because it was farther away, but it was still there._

_I made a split-second decision and jumped off my bed and made my way to the secret room in the forbidden levels of the opera._

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I walked rather quickly over to the staircase that led to the secret room. I mercifully made it up the stairs without tripping and sped off to find the candle stick that I needed.

I pulled on the middle tier of the candle stick and watched as the wall opened. I made my way down the corridor quietly, listening to the same soft melody that I had been hearing for weeks.

I quietly cracked open the door, peeking my head through. Sure enough, Edward was sitting at his piano, playing his heart out.

"Hello, Bella," he said as he continued to play, never even looking away from the keys. I smiled at the fact that he knew I was here. I should have been concerned about how he knew, but I felt very safe when I was around him.

I pushed open the door all the way and walked into the room to stand next to him as he finished the song. Edward finished the song and looked up from the keys at my face. He smiled a dazzling crooked smile that make my heart skip a beat. He was taking his toll on me, that's for sure.

"What brings you up here on this lovely bitter cold day?" he said, his statement full of sarcasm.

I giggled softly. "Oh, no reason. I just heard this lovely song coming from inside a mysterious room that probably only a few people knew about, and I just came running."

He laughed a musical laugh that I promised myself that I would commit to memory. I patted the empty spot on the piano bench next to him. I went to sit down next to him.

"Do you know how to play?" he asked, motioning towards the piano.

I shook my head. "No, not at all," I said.

"Would you like to learn how to play?" he asked.

My face lit up and I nodded my head. His breath-taking smile appeared on his face again and I nearly swooned. _Why did he have this much effect on me?_ I shook the thought from my head. I would ponder that later.

I finally got myself to form a coherent sentence. "Yes, please. I've always wanted to learn to play, but I had no one to teach me."

"Well, I guess that's why I'm here," he said, a sly smile lingering on his very kissable lips. _Whoa! Where did that come from?_

I giggled at his comment, pushing any thought of his lips from my mind.

"Would you like to start now?" he asked. I nodded. He laughed at my eagerness. "Alright," he said as he pulled himself gracefully off of the bench and let me move to the middle of it. He stood behind me, waiting. "Let's start with some scales. They're probably the easiest things you will learn and the most important."

He continued talking about how we would start as I nodded, listening to every word he was saying. When he was finished explaining, he reached around me so that his chest was pressed against my back and gently placed his hand over the top of my right hand. My breath hitched. "May I?" he asked as he looked into my eyes. I nodded, too mesmerized to say anything.

He placed our hands on the piano and pressed a key with my finger using his to push down. "This is middle C," he explained. He told me of the importance of this key and then helped me through the scale. Then he let me try it on my own. "I did it," I said excitedly. Edward chuckled. I spent the next hour trying and learning new things on the piano.

As the hour progressed, I felt Edward place his hands on my shoulders. His hands were lightly chilled but still warm. They felt amazing against my skin. I shivered from the contact, but he thought it was because I was cold. He removed his hands and they were replaced by a heavy coat. I was surprised when I felt him place his hands back on my shoulders.

My breath hitched for what seemed like the fifth time today. Edward was sliding his hands down my arms, sending a pleasant chill through my body. The I heard his velvet voice in my ear. "Sing for me, Bella," he breathed. I couldn't resist him, so I sang.

_We're walking in the air  
We're floating in the moonlit sky  
The people far below are sleeping as we fly_

I sang softly at first, slowly getting louder as my confidence grew.

_We're holding very tight  
I'm riding in the midnight blue  
I'm finding I can fly so high above with you_

I was slowly pulled up from the piano bench by a pair of strong arms. Edward turned me around so that I was facing him. He brought me to his chest and we began to dance.

_Far across the world  
The villages go by like trees  
The rivers and the hills  
The forest and the streams_

He twirled me around the room as I sang.

_Children gaze open mouth  
Taken by surprise  
Nobody down below believes their eyes_

_We're surfing in the air  
We're swimming in the frozen sky  
We're drifting over icy mountains floating by_

My dress swirled around my feet as Edward led me around the room. As the song was coming to an end, Edward slowed.

_Suddenly swooping low on an ocean deep  
Arousing of a mighty monster from its sleep  
__  
We're walking in the air  
We're dancing in the midnight sky  
And everyone who sees us greets us as we fly_

"Lovely," Edward sighed when we came to a stop. He brought his hand up to my face and stroked my cheek softly. He was staring into my eyes with his emerald ones. They seemed to sparkle with some unidentifiable emotion. His gaze dropped to my lips, then he started to lean down.

Then we heard something make a small crash down below us. I jumped and nearly hit Edward in the chin with my head.

"I think it's time you went back down," he said, clearing his throat.

I nodded and headed towards the door. But before I got there, I turned back around and went over to Edward and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for the lesson."

He smiled down at me. "Anytime, Bella. Thank you for the dance."

"Anytime," I said with a giggle.

I smiled and turned back towards the door and, with one last peek around the door at the mysterious man that had just entered my life, I walked down the corridor and down the stairs.

I skipped all the way to my room, not even tripping once. I giggled as I entered my room, and fell on my bed with a love-sick sigh. Wait, love-sick? When did this happen? _The first time you saw him_,a voice in the back of my head said.

I sighed. There was no denying it. I was falling for a man that I had only met a handful of times. And I was falling hard.

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A/N: OMG! They almost kissed! LOL, I love teasing you guys. Just kidding… or am I? -gives evilish quizzical look-

_**Anyway, please review and vote for my poll if you don't mind. I really like your reviews.**_

**_Check out my website to listen to the song that Bella sang. It's amazingly beautiful!_**

_**Peac… WAIT!!! One more thing. I just have to tell you guys that I am so excited for the Twilight movie. I'm seeing it tomorrow (Friday, for you people who read this tomorrow) with about nine of my friends. It's going to be AWESOME, no matter what people say. I believe that the cast has done an excellent job.**_

_**Anyway, that's it. Peace!**_

_**Kitty **_


	9. Ch 9 Riding

_**A/N: Hey guys! I'm so, so sorry that it's taken so long! I've been busy with school and other stuff. I "accidentally" put off this five paragraph (I know, that's not much but it is when you have absolutely nothing to write five paragraphs on) paper that was due the next day, so I had to do that and I had like a million tests that I had to study for. Seriously, who gives five chemistry tests in one week? My chemistry teacher apparently. Gah!!! -takes deep breath- Sorry about the rant. I'll let you read now.**_

_**Here's chapter 9!**_

_**Disclaimer: See chapter 1**_

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Chapter 9: Riding

_**(Bella's POV)**_

It had been a week since the day that Jacob Black had come to "visit" me. I remembered the day for another reason. It was the day that Edward had almost kissed me.

Every time I thought about him, my heart fluttered. I probably shouldn't be feeling this way about Edward, seeing as I've only met him four times (two of the times he was wearing a mask and I had no idea who he was).

But I couldn't help it. There was just something about him that made me feel safe and… wanted in a way that I couldn't understand fully. I knew that my friends loved me, but that was a family type of love. Edward made me feel like I was the only one in the world when I'm with him. I forget about everything else and I just focus on what we're doing.

I shook my head, trying to shake the thoughts out of my head. I shouldn't, no can't be thinking about this. I sighed as I got out of my bed and got ready for dance rehearsal.

I heard someone knock on my door just as I was about to leave. I went over to the door, wondering who it could be. I opened the door to see Claire standing there.

"Yes, Claire?" I asked.

"Madam Esme said that you don't have to go to rehearsal today," she said quietly."Why is that exactly?" I asked.

"She said that you have plans for today," Claire said.

Now I was really confused. Who had I made plans with? "Alright. Thank you, Claire." She nodded and disappeared quickly down the stairs.

I changed out of my dance rehearsal uniform and back into a simple dress. I walked down the steps to the parlor where all guests were brought to wait.

I rounded the corner and saw the last person I wanted to see. Jacob Black. I put on a fake smile and walked up to him. "Might I inquire what you are doing here at this early an hour, sir?"

He gave me a creepy looking smile and said, "I have come to take you out for the day, miss.""I do not remember us ever making these plans," I said, my anger growing slightly.

"I made these plans with your dance instructor. She said it was a grand idea," he said, his creepy smile never leaving his face.

Why, oh why, did Esme have to do this to me? I sighed. There was no way for me to get out of these horrible plans now. I had no excuse. "Fine," I said stiffly. "But if you make one move that I do not approve I will tell Madam that I never wish to see you again."

His smile grew. "Thank you for accepting my offer." He held out his arm and I reluctantly took it. This was going to be a long day.

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I tried to hold in my excitement for my chance at finally leaving the company of the selfish snob that was sitting across from me and looked out the window of the carriage that we were riding in. This has had to be the worst day I've had in my life.

To most people, Jacob looked like the perfect gentleman. He seemed kind, caring, and polite, but I saw right through his façade. On the inside, he was the kind of man that only cared for himself and his money and title.

All day long he only spoke of himself and his accomplishments. Gloating about how he had gotten _this_ amount of money or how he had gotten _that_ amount of money. I wanted to rip my ears off after the first two stories.

He had only made one good decision today and that was to take me back to the opera house. My horrible day started off like this:

My atrocious day started off with Jacob deciding that he wanted to go to lunch. My stomach grumbled loudly, so that was the only reason that I agreed to it in the first place. He brought me to some high-class restaurant that only the richest of the rich could afford.

We were seated quickly and the waiter took our order and went to the kitchen to order it for us.

We sat there in silence for a while until Jacob went off on this rant about how the service was so slow here… as soon as the waiter left the table.

After lunch (which was actually very delicious, despite the person I was having it with), Jacob decided that he wanted to take me riding. I agreed against my will. The only thing I wanted to do was go home and see Edward. _Wait, what? No, no, I not supposed to _want_ to see Edward._ I sighed to myself. But I knew that I wanted to and there was no changing that now. He had me under his spell.

Jacob must have heard me sigh, because he had a smug look on his face. "What has you so dreamy-eyed, Miss Swan?" At least he had some manners.

"Nothing of importance, Mr. Black," I said as sweetly as I could manage without it sounding completely fake. I didn't want to be seen with Jacob, much less talk to him.

"Ah, but it must be something important if your thinking about it," he pressed.

"Truly, it really is nothing. Just a girl thing," I said, trying to get him to understand that I didn't want to talk about it.

Thankfully he decided to be smart for the first time today and dropped the subject. We rode for a little while longer and now we've gone full circle. We're on our way back to the opera house and I'm almost bouncing in my seat with excitement. I couldn't wait to leave and I wasn't trying to hide it.

Finally, we pulled up in front of the Eclipse and I waited impatiently for the driver to come open my door. When he did I thanked him kindly and waited for Jacob to get out of the carriage. Unlike him, I wasn't a rude person.

When he got out, I said, "I had a pleasant time today. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a lesson to attend." Well, that wasn't entirely true. Wait, no, it wasn't true at all, but I wanted to get away from Jacob without seeming rude.

I didn't give him a chance to respond, because I was already at the door of the opera house, scurrying up to my room.

When I opened my door to my room, I almost screamed with surprise. Someone was sitting on my bed, apparently waiting for me to come back.

I walked farther into the room to see who it was. A huge smile spread across my face when I saw who it was.

It was Edward.

"Well, hello, stranger," I said as I walked over to my bed and sat down next to him. "To what do I owe for this unexpected visit?"

Edward smiled that crooked smile that made my heart flutter. "Can I not come to visit you, when you come to visit me all the time? And I thought it was my turned to do the traveling for a change."

I think my smile couldn't have gotten any bigger. He wanted to come visit me? This is like a dream come true.

Edward and I discussed what we, well… more I than he, had been doing over the past week. When I told him about Jacob, I thought I saw a flash of anger flash through his eyes. But before I could make sure, he had gained control again and all I saw was his calm demeanor.

After I had finished ranting about how horrible Jacob was, I saw a hint of amusement on Edward face. "Do you think this is funny? Well, you try being around someone that wants to make me just punch him very hard in the face. Even if it is unladylike." I crossed my arms with a huff and turned my face away from him.

Then he did something unexpected. He took his cool hand and turned my face back to his. I turned my head down and some of my hair fell into my face. He put two fingers under my chin and lifted it so that I had to look him in the eyes. "Bella, please don't hide your face from me when I haven't seen it in so long." He reached up to brush the hair out from in front of my eyes and the next thing I know is that Edward's face is inches away from mine. He looked into my eyes, asking permission. I gave the slightest of nods and Edward closed the distance between our lips.

His lips were so soft and warm against mine. I uncrossed my arms and felt them snake their way around Edward's neck as Edward pulled me closer to him. The kiss was slow and sweet. This was the best kiss of my life. In fact, it was the only kiss of my life. I hadn't had any fascination with any other men, but Edward, so there wasn't anyone to kiss.

Edward started pulling away first. He did it slowly; breaking the kiss with light pecks. He had a smile on his face when we finally stopped. I couldn't help smiling.

Someone knocked on the door. We both shot up. "Until next time, love," he said as he ran to the other side of the room and behind one of the curtains.

I wondered what he was doing back there, but I went to answer the door first. Claire was standing behind the door when I opened it. "Bella, Madam Esme said for you to come down for dinner."

"Alright, Claire. I'll be down shortly," I said. She nodded and went to get dinner for herself.

I closed the door and went over to the curtain that Edward had disappeared behind. I pulled it back, but saw nothing but the wall. That was strange, but then again, I've seen stranger.

I pressed my fingers against my still kiss-swollen lips and smiled. This really was a dream come true.

I sighed dreamily and walked out my door and down to dinner, thinking of Edward the whole time.

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A/N: One, two, three. AWWWW! They kissed, isn't that just the cutest thing you've ever seen (well, read actually)? LOL, anyway, sorry again for the wait. I promise to update fast next time.

_**Please review and vote for my poll! Please and thank you!**_

_**Peace out!**_

_**Kitti **_


	10. Ch 10 Showing

_**A/N: Okay… I know I said that I said I would update fast, but I've been swamped with homework and mid-terms are coming up soon, so all of the teachers decided that they needed to give us extra homework to "learn" more before the semester ended -note sarcasm- and club volleyball season has started and school volleyball off-season workouts have started... so yeah. Sorry, I'm done ranting now.**_

_**All of your reviews were AWESOME!!! They make me want to write, which is what I'm doing now. Ha! So anyway, I'm going to quit rambling like an insane person and let you read now, so READ!!!**_

_**Here's Chapter 10!**_

_**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**_

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Chapter 10: Showing

_**(Bella's POV)**_

I was on my way back from dinner, walking around in a dreamlike state. This was just too perfect. This amazing, mysterious, handsome man, who could have had anyone he wanted, just appears out of nowhere and chooses me, of all people.

I sighed and fell back on my bed after I entered my room. Where had Edward gone before? He just disappeared in thin air. How is that even possible? _Is _it even possible?

I sighed again. I didn't know what to think. But I did know one thing. Even if Edward had some magical ability to disappear or if he had this crazy whim to pop up whenever he pleased, I couldn't get enough of him. I wanted to have him near me. No, I needed him near me. I couldn't go anywhere without thinking about him. I wanted to hear his voice and smell his tantalizing scent.

I pulled myself up and got myself ready for bed. I climbed back onto my bed and closed my eyes. I let darkness flow over me as I dreamt of the most amazing man in all of the world.

I woke up the next day and jumped out of bed.

I fell asleep very fast last night, but kept waking up in the middle of night. Edward continued to slip into my thoughts during these times.

I was tossing and turning all night, debating with myself if I should just go looking for him, or let him come to me.

But in my current state, I was just too excited that Edward had chosen me to seek out and open up to, so I made a split second decision and quickly dressed in a simple dress (it as Saturday, so we didn't have any rehearsals) and pulled a brush through my tangled hair and quietly slipped out the door. I made my way over to the other side of the opera house and smiled when I heard the familiar soft melody coming through the ceiling. I made my way up the staircase and down the hall over to the secret passageway. I pulled the candlestick and walked down the corridor.

I quietly opened the door at the end of the hallway and, sure enough, I saw Edward sitting at his piano, his hands moving gracefully across the keys.

I slipped into the room and waited against the wall, waiting for Edward to finish his piece. I realized that Edward only played at certain times of the day. During the week he would play only at night and on weekends he would play during both the day and night. I guess that's just what he's comfortable with.

I saw that Edward had a slight smile on his face as he played. I wondered why.

Edward brought the song to a close and turned around to face me. His smile grew wider when he saw me. His smile knocked the breath out of me, it was so gorgeous. I smiled back at him. He held out his hand for me and I walked over and took his hand. He pulled me down next to him and pulled me closer to his side, his arm around my waist.

"Hello, love," he whispered into my ear. I shivered as his breath tickled my neck. I loved it that he called me "love."

"Hi," I whispered back. We sat there in the silence for a little while. Edward would occasionally kiss the top of my head.

"Edward?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes, love?" he asked.

I chickened out of my real question and asked the safer one. "I was wondering about how you, well… how you disappeared from my room yesterday?" What I had really wanted to ask was why he was up here in the first place, but I didn't want him to feel uncomfortable. I would let him tell me on his own time.

He chuckled softly. "Is that what you've been thinking about?" I nodded, a slight blush creeping up my cheeks. He stood up and pulled me up with him. "I'll show you," he said.

"Really?" I asked, my eagerness slipping into my voice.

He chuckled again. "Yes, really."

He took me to the back of the room and pushed back a black velvet curtain to reveal a mirror. I looked at him confused. Why was he showing me a mirror?

He obviously saw my confusion and he chuckled softly and reached for a saw handle that I wouldn't have seen unless Edward had shown in to me. He pulled on the handle and the mirror opened to reveal a brightly lit tunnel like the one that led me to the secret room that we were already in.

He pulled me into the tunnel and led me into the bright light and we followed the twists and turns of the tunnel. He led me past other doors that looked like the one from back in the room.

"What are those doors for?" I asked.

"They lead to different parts of the opera house," he explained. He stopped in front of one door and opened it. It revealed another tunnel, only this one had dimmer lighting. He led me into the tunnel and we walked for about five minutes and stopped at the end. It looked like there wasn't a door or anything, but I was proven wrong again and Edward pulled what looked like some sort of tassel and the wall slid open to reveal a curtain.

Edward pushed past the curtain and brought me with him. I was amazed to see that we were standing in my room. I looked over at him with an awed look on my face.

"Is this how you get around the opera house?" I asked.

He nodded. "There are many different tunnels that I use." He was smiling slightly.

"I'm sure there are," I said.

He chuckled and pulled me to his chest. His sparkling emerald eyes bore into mine and I was trying my hardest to remember how to breathe. Edward's face got closer to mine and then his lips pressed lightly to mine. I placed my hands on his chest to support myself. This type of kiss should be illegal, it was so amazing.

I resisted the urge to tangle my hands into his soft, silky hair. I didn't want us to move too fast with this. I wanted to enjoy being with Edward. I wanted to be with him forever. The thought of being with Edward forever made me very happy.

Edward sighed when we stopped. He stared into my eyes again and brushed the hair out of my face. I smiled up at him.

And then our perfect moment was ruined when I heard a knock on the door and a very familiar voice call, "Bella, are you in there?" Alice. I felt Edward stiffen beside me. I wonder what that was about, besides the fact that he hadn't been seen my many people in a while… I think.

"Yes, one second," I called back. I kissed Edward one more time and then he smiled as he disappeared just as he did yesterday.

I went to go answer the door. "Hello, Alice."

"Hello. I was wondering if you would like to go shopping with me? It would be fun," she said. I sighed. There was no point in arguing with Alice over shopping, so I nodded and closed the door behind me as I followed Alice down to the carriage that would take us to the shops.

This was going to be interesting.

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A/N: Edward is slowly revealing his secrets to Bella. This could be a good sign, don't you think? LOL, anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Check out the banners for all of my stories on my website if you want. They're on my Fanfics page of my website.

_**REVIEW!!! And vote for my poll! I want at least 100 votes on it before I take it down. Please and thank you!**_

_**Sorry it took so long to update. I'll try to update faster next time. Peace out for now!**_

_**Kitti**_


	11. Ch 11 Shopping

_**A/N: Hey guys! I'm back! WHOOOOO! I bet you're happy too… well I hope you're happy. You better be. LOL. Anyway, I'm going to stop rambling now so you can finally read this chapter. I want to thank ya'll for being so patient with me and for all of the reviews I got while this was on hiatus. You guys are awesome!**_

_**Here's Chapter 11!**_

_**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**_

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Chapter 11: Shopping

_**(Bella's POV) **_

Alice and I made our ways through the shops, looking around at everything. Well, Alice was looking at everything, I was just there with her. Shopping really wasn't one of my favorite things to do.

"Oh, Bella, you have to try this on," Alice said, motioning towards a white gown.

"Um, Alice? You do realize that this is a wedding gown, right?" I asked, giving her a skeptical look. "And why are we even in a wedding store? Neither of us are getting married, right?"

She looked down, a slight blush on her cheeks. "Right, Alice?" I asked again.

She looked up and held out her left hand. I gasped at the sparkling diamond on her ring finger. "Jasper proposed?" I asked, looking into her eyes.

She nodded and bit her lip. "Oh, Alice. I'm so excited for you! Why didn't you tell me before?"

"It just happened last night and I wanted to tell you this morning but I couldn't find you," Alice explained. "Speaking of which, where have you been sneaking off to lately?"

That question caught me off guard. "Uh, uh, no- nowhere. I've just been really busy lately," I lied pathetically.

"Mhmm, I'm sure," she said, giving me a look, but thankfully dropping the subject.

"Anyway," I said, steering the subject away from this territory. "Why are you telling me to try on a wedding gown? I'm not the one getting married."

"I've already got my dress. I'm going to wear my mother's gown," she stated proudly.

"Alright, but I still don't see the point of us being in here," I said, but my words were lost on Alice because she was already talking to one of the store clerks and pointing at me. The clerk nodded and headed towards the back of the store.

"Alice, what are you doing?" I asked.

"You're just trying on a few dresses, Bella. It's no big deal," she said as she skipped back over to me.

"But why am I trying on wedding dresses?" I asked, confused.

"Because one day you're going to need one. And since I'm in the wedding spirit, we might as well get you yours now, too," she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"But I'm not getting married any time soon," I protested. "Besides, if I do get married then it won't be for awhile. The dress won't fit by then."

With all this talk about weddings, my thoughts drifted to Edward. I could see myself walking down the aisle with him waiting at the end for me, smiling his beautiful smile. I saw small bronze-haired, green-eyes children running around and calling me their mother.

"Bella. Bella!" Alice's voice cut into my fantasies. "Come on. They're ready for us."

I guess my protests had no effect on her. I sighed and followed Alice to the back of the store where a store clerk was waiting for us, holding a lot of white fabric. "Alice, is this really necessary?" I asked. "I'm not even getting mar---," she cut me off with a hand over my mouth.

"Yes, now get in there," she said pointing to the dressing room. I sighed and walked into the dressing room. I pulled off my dress so now I was only wearing my shift. Alice threw something over the top of the door and told me to put it on. I held it up and saw that it was a strapless shift. I gulped. I didn't like strapless clothing. I didn't really have anything to hold it up… if you know what I mean. I only wore strapless clothing when I needed to.

But I did what I was told and pulled off my own shift and slipped on the other one. The door of the dressing room opened and a white puff ball was shoved in my face _**(picture on website)**_. "Put this on," Alice said. She could be really demanding when it came to shopping.

"Fine," I muttered and took the dress. I stepped into the dress and pulled it up. After it was on I told them that I needed someone to tie up the back. The store clerk came into the dressing room and started to lace up the back. I gasped when she pulled really tight when she was tightening the strings around my waist.

"Are you alright, Bella?" I heard Alice ask from the other side of the door.

"I'm -gasp- fine," I squeaked when the clerk tightened the laces again. When the clerk was done, she left the room and I heard her tell Alice that I was finished.

When Alice walked in she smiled and started to laugh. "What's so funny?" I asked between breaths.

"Your face is priceless," she said. "I'm assuming that this one isn't one of your favorites."

I gave her a pained smile and shook my head. "I can't breathe," I stated simply. Alice just laughed again and came over to loosen the laces and then left the room.

I tried on a few other dresses before Alice said, "Alright, Bella, here's the last one." She handed me a white dress with short sleeves and a modest neckline that made me love the dress instantly _**(picture on website)**_. I smiled when I went to try it on. When I had it on, the material flowed over my skin.

I called Alice into the dressing room and she gasped when she saw me. "Oh, Bella, it's beautiful. You have to get it."

"Really?" I asked. I knew that it would be pointless for me to buy it right now because I wasn't getting married anytime soon. But I loved it so much. I debated with myself and then I smiled and nodded. Alice squealed excitedly.

"Oh, Bella, this is the perfect gown for your wedding day," she said after I came out of the dressing room in my own clothes.

I raised my eyebrows at her. "And how to do know that?" I asked.

She tapped her temple and said, "I know things." I laughed at that as I went to go pay for the dress.

After I was done paying, we left the shop after Alice picked up some other small things for her wedding. We were walking down the street when I saw the last person I wanted to see right now. Jacob Black. And he was coming in our direction. I gasped and ducked behind a sign.

"Bella? What are you doing?" Alice asked, looking at me like I had gone insane.

"Don't let him see me," I whispered.

"Let who see you?" Alice asked, looking down the street.

"Jacob Black," I whispered to her.

"Who's that?" she asked, clearly confused.

"He's that man that keeps coming to the opera house and asking to take me out," I explained quietly. I couldn't tell if he was close to us or not from my hiding spot. "He's the worst suitor I've ever had. He's selfish and self-centered and he drives me up the wall."

"Oh," she said after I was done ranting. "He's not going to bother you when you're with me. Come on. We've got to get back home." She grabbed my arm and pulled me out from behind the sign.

"No, Alice," I protested, trying to get back in my hiding spot, but Alice is really strong for someone her size.

"Come on, Bella," she said, pulling me down the street… and towards Jacob.

We were almost down the street and I thought I he didn't see us, but I was wrong. "Miss Swan," I heard him say in a falsely cheery tone. "What a pleasant surprise it is to see you here today."

I shot Alice a glare and turned around to face him. I put on a fake smile and said, "Mr. Black, indeed, it is a surprise."

Jacob looked between Alice and me and then said, "Who's your friend?"

"This is Alice Cullen, daughter of Carlisle and Esme Cullen. I'm sure you know who they are," I said, a cheeky smile on my face.

"Yes, I do know them. It's nice to meet you, Miss Cullen," Jacob said to Alice. She gave him a polite nod, but said nothing.

Jacob turned his attention back to me. "Miss Swan, I was wondering if you would like to accompany me for supper tonight?"

I didn't know what to say. Well, actually I did know what to say, but the way the words were forming in my mind weren't very polite or ladylike. Thankfully Alice saved me from having to say anything. "I'm sorry, Mr. Black, Miss Swan and I have already made plans for tonight with my family," Alice lied smoothly.

"Oh," he said. "Well, maybe another time?" He had a fake smile on his face.

I smiled slightly, but made no indication of confirming his question. "Come along, Bella. We've got to meet my parents," Alice said. I nodded and turned away from Jacob without saying goodbye. He didn't deserve one.

When we got to the carriage, I said, "Thank you so much, Alice. I don't know what I would have done if I had to spend anymore time with that man."

"Your more than welcome. I didn't like him at all," she said, a grimace on her face.

"Enough about Jacob. Tell me about how Jasper proposed," I said.

She smiled and launched into the story. She told me all about it as we made our way back to the opera house. We pulled up in front of the Eclipse and we gathered our purchases and walked inside. "I need to fetch something. I'll see you at supper," I said to Alice. She nodded and went to find Jasper, who was supposed to be meeting her here tonight.

I quickly made my way up to my room and smiled when I opened the door. Edward was standing next to one of my many bookshelves and looking at one of the shelves. He turned around and smiled his breathtaking smile. "Hello, love. How was your shopping trip?" he asked as he came over to me.

"Interesting," I said with a little laugh.

"How so?" he asked.

"My friend decided to drag me from store to store against my will. I'm not a very big fan of shopping," I said, wrinkling up my nose.

He laughed his musical laugh and pulled me towards his chest. He kissed my forehead. "I missed you… even though you were only gone for a few hours," I said. I could hear the smile in his voice.

"I missed you too," I said, smiling to myself.

He looked me in the eyes for a moment and then his eyes drifted to the bag in which the dress that I bought was in. "What's this?" he asked, looking at the _clear _bag that the dress was in.

I blushed. I forgot that I had it in my hand. It was really embarrassing to be holding a wedding dress when you're talking to the man you're seeing, especially when you've only been seeing him for about three days. "Nothing," I said, pulling it towards me, trying to hide the dress was much as I could with my arms. "It's just something my friend made me buy."

"Can I see it please?" he asked, looking into my eyes. I sighed. I couldn't deny him anything. I held out the bag and let him see it. I was blushing furiously. I couldn't look him in the eye, I was so embarrassed. I was planning on just hanging it in my closet and leaving it there until I could actually use it.

I felt a cool finger lift my face so that I had to look him in the eye. "It's beautiful, Bella. It's probably even more beautiful on you," he said, sincerity ringing in his voice and shining in his eyes.

I smiled up at him and breathed an internal sigh of relief. I was glad that he didn't think I was sort of over-eager girl that didn't know anything.

He smiled back down at me and leaned down for a kiss which I gladly returned. When we broke the kiss I asked, "So how was your day?"

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A/N: Well, I hope you guys liked that. Tell me what you think. I really like the reviews. They make me happy. And just to let you know, the updates will be slower than they use to be. I'm still working on my other stories **On Opposite Ends **_**and **_**The Isles**_**. You should check those out too if you haven't already. Normally only work on two stories at a time, but I feel like I've put this one on hold for too long. Anyway, REVIEW! Please and thank you.**_

_**Peace!**_

_**Kitti**_


	12. AN: I'm Sorry!

**A/N: I'M SOOOOOOOOOOOOO SORRY!!**

**I will be temporarily (yes, look at that last word. I will NOT be abandoning this story) putting Beautiful Melodies on hiatus. I don't have the time to write more than two stories at one time and I want to focus on one of my other stories at the moment. I will update this as soon as I can though. **

**Again, I'm so sorry!! :( I hate writer's block!!**

**Kitti**

**P.S. I'm sorry if any of you thought this was a new chapter.**

**P.S.S. I feel so bad for doing this to ya'll, but if this makes any difference, I have put up a new story. It's called **_**Small Town Southern Living**_**. Check it out, please!**

**P.S.S.S. I'm sorry that I'm doing this to you guys again! :'(**


	13. AN: Penname Change!

**A/N: I know you guys are going to hate me for giving you an author's note instead of a chapter when I haven't updated in so long, but I think this is necessary.**

**I've decided to change my penname to _DarkGoldenEyedAngel_. I didn't want any of you to get confused when you couldn't find CrazedCullenLover anymore.**

**Hope this helps. And I'm in the process of writing the next chapters in On Opposite Ends II: Total War and Small Town Southern Living, so those will be up soon.**

**Thanks for being so patient with me.**

**~Kitti (aka DarkGolenEyedAngel, formerly known as CrazedCullenLover) :) **


	14. AN: New ProfileStory

Hey, everyone. I know you all must hate me because I haven't updated any of my stories in forever. I've just lost most of my inspiration for them. I'll get back to them eventually, but until then, they are all on hold.

But I do want to let you all know, that I have a new profile. My knew name is **PlayingKitti2011**. Don't worry. I'm still keeping this profile. And I've started a new story that I'm currently in love with. It's called _Let the Games Begin_. I love where it's going and I'm already about six chapter into it, so if you all want to head over to there, then I would love you all.

Thanks,

Kitti :)


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